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Loving the Gym



Truth is: I always knew that when I'd find the right gym, I would love it. I just had never found the right one. Until now.

I was pushing Max in the Chariot for almost all of my runs in September and October. I did not really mind since it was the off season and very nice outside. We played about as much as we ran. So the whole thing took a couple of hours. It was great fun! (Except for the hill repeats I attempted with 40lbs Max and 30lbs library books on trail.)

But then off season ended and heart rate training began. And it got cold! Pushing 70lbs obviously affects your heart rate, and without a Garmin I only had one choice: the dreaded treadmill!

One of my problems with the gym is that I don't want to drive there. I will not drive to the gym on a regular basis. Preferably not at all. But who has a gym in their backyard? Well, we do now! The local family YMCA is about a 3 minute walk from our apartment. It is brand new. It opened in April of this year. It's very family oriented. How could I resist?


I love it! I really do. I could spend all day there. Unfortunately. Because I don't wanna love it! I wanna be one of those tough girls that exercises outside no matter the conditions.

Running on a treadmill is entirely way too easy! It is almost like the machine does the running for you and all you have to do is hang on for the ride. I doubt that thing makes me any tougher, let alone a better athlete. But I sure like all the facts it tells me. Heart rate. Speed. Distance. I never know any of that when I run outside. (I also have a love-hate relationship with a Garmin. I don't want to want one. I don't want to need one. Luckily we can't afford one anyway.) Now I can follow coach's instructions to the tee. And that I like!

But hey, I have watched more (parts of) movies in the last month than in the last 10 years combined. I love having my own little TV. Lifetime Movie Network rules. But it sure does not make me a better person either.


Spin class? Before joining the YMCA, I had gone to 2 different spin classes and both times I did not like the teacher. At all. Sure, they were both great athletes and knew their stuff. But why do they have to yell at me the whole time? And get annoyed if I don't yell back? And tell me jokes? And make me feel like a circus monkey on my bike? All I want to do is ride! Hard!

Anyway, I really like the girl that teaches the early morning classes here. We just ride our bikes. Plain and simple. No yelling. No circus. I tried a different class the other day and I liked that one, too! The teacher played my favorite kind of workout music: Techno. Really loud. I have not sweated that much in I-don't-know-how-long. I was drenched. Good times!

I would like to try out all the other classes as well but that will have to wait until the next off season!

Happy winter training to all!

Comments

Fitness Freak said…
Good to know that you are involved and interested in all type of workouts and Exercises.
December 10, 2010
wilson4 said…
It's about time. Welcome to the gym scene :)
December 10, 2010
Telitaadams said…
I'm the same way! I finally found a gym that I like out here ...
March 14, 2011
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